The Department of Health and Human Services is recommending termination of CDC’s discretionary advisory committees, as revealed in an email obtained by POLITICO.
Today, CDC leaders received an email instructing the agency to justify the continuation of advisory committees by a deadline of 10 PM. However, a subsequent email clarified that no immediate response was necessary.
Importance of Advisory Committees
CDC’s advisory committees provide valuable external expertise on crucial subjects such as HIV prevention and emerging infectious diseases like avian flu. These insights inform the agency’s recommendations.
The initial email warned that failure to provide a satisfactory response would result in the termination of these committees, indicated by the acronym FACAs.
Uncertainty lingers regarding HHS’s intentions following the second email. It remains unclear whether the termination plans are on hold or inevitable, irrespective of CDC’s feedback.
Implications of Executive Orders
A CDC spokesperson refrained from commenting, while an HHS representative cited compliance with President Trump’s executive order on federal bureaucracy reduction.
Trump’s directive, titled ‘Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy,’ mandates CDC to justify the necessity of these committees for agency operations and public interest. The agency must also demonstrate the inability to fulfill committee functions through alternative means and secure approval from the agency head.
List of Committees at Risk
The email identified nine CDC committees facing potential termination:
– The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee
– CDC/HRSA Advisory Committee on HIV, Viral Hepatitis and STD Prevention and Treatment
– Board of Scientific Counselors, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
– Board of Scientific Counselors Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases
– Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee
– Disease, Disability, and Injury Prevention and Control Special Emphasis Panel
– The Board of Scientific Counselors, National Center for Health Statistics
– Safety and Occupational Health Study Section
– The Board of Scientific Counselors, Center for Preparedness and Response
